Chinese Sugar Rings vs Indian Jalebi: Key Differences You Should Know About These Sweet Treats

Chinese sugar rings and Indian jalebi may look similar, but their ingredients, preparation, texture and taste set them apart. Discover what makes these two popular traditional sweets different.

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China Has A Twin For Our Jalebi

There is a unique relationship of Indians towards jalebi. One would come across these sweets everywhere in the festivals, weddings or street-corner parties. One cannot do without enjoying the hot jalebis.

However, it needs to be stated here that there exists a dessert in China which is exactly alike ours – Tang Huan. They are commonly known as the Chinese Sugar Rings.

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Tang Huan Is The Chinese Jalebi

Yu Jing of the Chinese Embassy in India recently spoke about both these desserts on social media, through the X medium.

According to her, the Chinese Sugar Rings and Indian Jalebi are both very tasty and crispy snacks with some unique flavor. Chinese Sugar Rings are commonly known by the names Tang Huan, which means sugar spirals. These sugar spirals are fried in hot oil, straight from a thin batter. Every bite is crispy and delicious. The Sugar rings seem lighter than our regular Jalebi.

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How Do Cooks Make Chinese Sugar Rings?

They begin by beating eggs before preparing Tang Huan.

They then add water after mixing equal amounts of bread and cake flour.

Corn flour, custard powder, baking powder, and sugar are added into the mixture in the bowl. They then sieve this mixture to obtain a smooth batter.

Metal molds are used in shaping this sweet. They dip the mold into the batter before placing it in the hot oil. This batter separates into a circular shape when shaking the mold gently.

They then fry them until they become golden and crispy.

Families accord this sweet a very special place during Chinese New Year celebrations. They are prepared mostly at homes. Most people also believe that saying bad words in the kitchen brings the negative energy into the sugar ring, thus spoiling the coming year.

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What Makes Jalebi Different From Tang Huan?

Everyone knows how Jalebi is made by the sweet sellers in India. Pushcarts and bakeries sell them fresh. People throng the stores every evening for hot Jalebis.

The main difference between Tang Huan and Jalebi is that our Jalebi is entirely vegetarian, but Chinese Sugar Rings have eggs in them.

Our sweet sellers dip the Jalebi in sugar syrup for its sweetness. However, Chinese sweet sellers mix sugar into the Tang Huan dough before frying.

Jalebi offers syrup burst, but Chinese Sugar Rings offer crispy taste.